Waiting for Mr. Darcy (19 page)

Just then Gabby returned with Lauren and Alicia.

“The driver brought the car around. We're heading back to the city.”

“All right, dear,” Bunny answered.

Lauren and Alicia went in and kissed Mr. B.

“You take care of yourself, Mr. B,” Alicia said cheerfully.

“We'll come by and visit you in the city next time,” Lauren added.

“I look forward to it.”

“Okay, Daddy. You be sure to do everything the doctor tells you.” She fixed his collar. “I'll bring you that hot dog,” she whispered before she kissed him. “Love you, Daddy.”

He smiled. “Love you, too, princess.”

“Thank you for having us, Mrs. Blanchard. It was lovely and please tell Cook she hit one out of the park with her menu.” Alicia shook Bunny's hand.

“Thank you so much. I'm sure that will mean a lot to her.”

“It's been a pleasure, Mrs. Blanchard. Thanks for inviting me.” Lauren shook her hand as well.

“Thank you for coming.”

Gabby hugged her mother. “I guess I'll see you in the city next week. You are coming back in on Monday, right?”

“Yes, so we'll have tea next Sunday.”

“Okay.”

They left and headed back for the city and Scarsdale, but not before they stopped and got three big chocolate chip cookies from Levain Bakery. Although Gabby was the one who needed it, Lauren and Alicia had one to express solidarity. Or so they pretended.

Chapter 13

When Gabby got home she stripped down to the bare essentials, a comfortable sundress and flip-flops. She went out onto the terrace with a glass of wine and a copy of
American Art Review
.

“Ms. Blanchard, do you need anything before I go?”

“No, Rosie, I'm good. You go on and have a good evening.”

“Okay, ma'am. Good night.”

“Good night, Rosie.”

Gabby sipped her wine and flipped through the pages in an effort to put the day behind her.
When will I learn? I should know better when it comes to my mother.
She sighed aloud.

“Was it that bad of a day?”

She turned around. “Nigel.”

“Rosie let me in on her way out. I hope that was okay.”

“Of course.”

“So was it that bad of a day?”

She went over and put her arms around him. “Not anymore.”

Gabby and Nigel kissed with a real sense of urgency, and they barely made it inside before their clothes came off. Soon their nude bodies were on the floor with only a Persian rug between them and the hardwood.

“Oh, I missed you,” Gabby whispered.

“I missed you.”

Gabby's senses were on edge for his touch on her body and he didn't disappoint. He covered her with kisses from her head down to each one of her toes. She rolled over on top of him to return the favor. Slowly her lips and tongue explored his hard body. He tensed up as she raised the stakes near his navel.

“Oh,” he moaned.

The sound of his pleasure delighted her.

Soon he couldn't take anymore and he pulled her close to him. “I want you now.” A moment later they climbed the heights of pleasure and held on tightly to one another as they reached the peak of complete pleasure.

A little sleepy but satisfied, Gabby opened her eyes to see Nigel looking at his cell phone intensely.

“Nigel? Is everything okay?”

“Sure.” He tried to downplay it.

She sat up. “It doesn't look that way to me. Do you want to talk about it?”

“It's nothing. I got a text from my son's mother, that's all.”

“Is something wrong?”

He sighed. “The tuition at my son's school for the fall is coming due.”

“Oh, I know about that. I assume you split the cost.”

“No. I pay the full tuition for the Lake Forest Academy.”

“I didn't know he went there. Isn't it one of the most expensive private schools in Chicago?”

“It's
the
most expensive school in Chicago.” He looked troubled.

Gabby decided she'd tread lightly. “I don't mean to pry, and you can tell me to mind my business, but are you having trouble with the tuition?”

“No,” he said abruptly.

“You know I'd be happy to help you out if you need it.”

His pride in jeopardy, he got up and grabbed his pants. “I don't need your money.”

“I didn't say you did.”

“That's not what it sounded like to me,” he said as he quickly pulled his pants up.

“Nigel…”

“No.” He put his hand up. “I don't want to talk about it.” He put his shirt on and grabbed his shoes. “I'll call you later.”

Before Gabby could get a word out, he walked out of the living room and out of the house. She lay back on the floor. “I feel like I've been in a hit and run. What did I say?” She asked aloud as she sat up to get the phone. When she got Alicia's answering machine, she called Lauren.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Lauren.”

“Hey, Gabby, how's it going?”

“It was going well.”

Lauren sipped her drink. “I don't like the sound of that.”

“Nigel was here and we had a great time together, you know…”

“Yes, Gabby, we're not ten. You were doing the horizontal hula. More power to you, girl.”

“Afterwards I noticed he looked a little pensive, so I asked what was wrong. He told me his son's tuition was due.”

“It's about that time of year. Where does his son go to school?”

“The Lake Forest Academy in Chicago.”

“Ouch! I don't even have children and I know that's the most expensive school in Chicago.”

“I know. I offered to help if he was having a problem.”

“No, you didn't,” Lauren groaned.

“Was I wrong?”

“I'm pretty sure he didn't tell you about it so you could give him money.”

“I thought it was a nice thing to do.”

“It was nice, but he's probably got his pride. Have you talked to him about his son?”

“We've talked about him a little but never in detail.”

“It sounds like you should have a conversation.”

“He said that he and his ex have a good relationship. He even gets along with her husband.”

“If he looked upset about tuition, I'm pretty sure it's not exactly
A Very Brady Christmas.”

“You could have a point. What should I do?”

“Ask him about it. You don't have to accuse him of lying about anything, but you need to know what you're getting into.”

“Oh, brother.”

“Just talk to him.”

“I'll give him some time to cool down. I'll call him tomorrow.”

“Good plan.”

“Thanks. So what are you doing tonight?”

“Randy's coming over after work.”

“A little late night rendezvous. Nice.”

“I think so, too.”

“By the way, have you spoken to Alicia? I tried to call her but I got her voice mail.”

“I think she's having dinner with Nate tonight.”

“Good. It's nice to know she's getting out.”

“I know.” Lauren took another sip. “Are you okay now?”

“Yes. Thanks for listening.” She looked at the clock. “Well, I'm going to take a bath and relax tonight.”

“That sounds like a plan. I'll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Have a good night.”

* * *

That evening Nathaniel proved to be a quick study in the kitchen. Alicia watched as he stirred the fennel, celery, carrots, onions and leeks in the pot. She added the garlic and then the Cote du Rhone wine. While the pot came to a boil, she and Nathaniel partook in a glass of the wine.

“This is nice,” he said as he sipped his wine. “If I knew cooking was this much fun, I would have gotten into it years ago.”

Alicia laughed, then added the salt and pepper.

Nathaniel held up the thyme sprigs, rosemary and twine. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“You're going to make a bouquet garni of sorts.”

“A what?”

“You're going to tie the herbs together and add them to the pot.”

“Okay. Can you help me with that one?”

“Sure.” Alicia gathered the herbs together and then took the twine to wrap them. She found it a little difficult to tie the twine. “Damn!” She was frustrated.

“What's the matter?” Nathaniel looked concerned.

“I sometimes have problems doing small things like this. In the studio I have someone who acts as my sous chef and preps everything.”

“No worries, sweetie, I'll tie it.”

He tied the twine. “Don't we make a good team? Maybe I can be your sous chef.”

Alicia smiled.

“Now that's what I want to see.” He leaned over and kissed her.

His sweetness unsettled her a little. “Now you get the ribs and I'll pour the stock.”

“Yes, chef.”

They finished the short ribs together and Nathaniel put the pan in the oven. The potatoes were already going, and there was nothing left to do but sit and enjoy one another's company.

“How about we go in the living room where it's cooler?”

“Okay.”

They retired to the living room and sat on the love seat.

“How was the rest of the day in the Hamptons?”

“Not bad. Lauren and I stayed outside and out of the line of fire.”

“I take it the drive-by fix-up didn't go over well.”

“No. Gabby has met someone and she seems to be really happy with him.”

“Does her mother know that?”

“Probably, but Bunny is Bunny. Her will be done.”

Nathaniel chuckled. “What about your parents? What are they like?”

“Walter and Loretta Carlson are actually pretty cool parents.”

“They never got involved with your love life?”

“For a long time I didn't have a love life for them to be worried about. I certainly didn't date as a teenager. If anything, they were more worried I was too obsessed with Jane Austen.”

“You're a big Austen fan?”

“Oh, yes, I fell in love with her books a long time ago. I love that sexy pre-Victorian/Victorian way of romance.”

“I've never heard it described as sexy.”

“When you think about it, the stories are filled with sexual tension under the guise of manners. The long looks across the room between Emma and Mr. Knightley. The heated yet polite exchanges between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.” Alicia closed her eyes and sighed.

“I have to re-read those books. Do you like any other authors?”

“I love Edith Wharton's
Age of Innocence.”

“You consider that a hot book, too?” he asked, surprised.

“Yes. The chapter when Newland Archer slowly unbuttons Countess Olenska's gloves to kiss her hand is one of the sexiest things I've ever read. It's essentially the prelude to adultery, but you totally get caught up in the romance of it.”

“I take it you loved the movie.”

“Yes.” She smiled. “I never thought of Daniel Day Lewis as a sex symbol, but after that movie he moved to the head of the class.”

“I'm going to put that book and movie on my list, too.”

Alicia laughed. “Let me know what you think afterwards. I'll be interested to hear a man's perspective.”

“I will. Did Kurt enjoy your pantheon of authors?”

“I wouldn't say he enjoyed them per se, but he was cool with my Austen Aristocrats meetings.”

“Your what?”

“It's the club Lauren, Gabby and I started back in high school. We're all Austen fans and that's how we spent our Friday nights back then. Only we had so much fun, we kept it up.”

“You still meet?”

“Yes.” She sipped her wine.

He grinned.

“I don't know if that's a bemused look or what.”

He took her wine glass and put it on the table next to his. “It's a ‘you're so cute I just have to kiss you' look.”

At first their lips touched lightly and then grew more sensual. Degree by degree their temperatures rose. However, the temperature weren't the only thing on the rise as Nathaniel pulled away suddenly and jumped to his feet. “Shouldn't I check the oven now?”

Alicia was a little thrown, but she recovered. “Sure.”

Nathaniel rushed into the kitchen and opened the freezer. He grabbed a bag of frozen peas and put it on the front of his pants.

“Is everything okay in there?” Alicia called.

“It's fine. You just relax, I have everything under control.”

“Okay!”

A minute later Nathaniel put the peas back in the freezer and checked the oven. “The ribs look good. How much longer do you think?”

Alicia entered the kitchen. “Let me look.” He moved slightly so she could get in front of him. When she bent forward, her rear brushed against him. As Nathaniel crossed his legs, a mischievous grin came over Alicia's face.
Nice to know I've still got it.
She checked the ribs. “I think we're done.”

“Wonderful. I'll take them out and dinner will be served.”

Alicia and Nathaniel enjoyed a wonderful dinner together before he walked her back to her place. When they kissed good night, the same passion that overcame them on the love seat returned. Nathaniel ran his hands down her back and lightly traced his fingers around her hips and back up to her neck. Her red hair felt like silk between his fingers and her perfume permeated his senses. He wanted her as he'd never wanted a woman before, but he knew it would take time.

“Thank you for dinner.”

“Thank you for being such a good teacher.” He kissed her again. “I'll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She smiled and went inside.

Nathaniel waited for the door to lock and then he hurried back to his place. Although as a doctor he knew cold showers didn't really work, he needed to do something until Alicia felt ready to be with him.

* * *

When Lauren opened her door at eleven p.m. she found a tired yet still incredibly sexy Randy at her door.

“Hey, baby.” She kissed him.

“I really needed that.”

“Well, then, please take a load off and I'll be right back.”

Randy sat down. “Did you have a good time in the Hamptons?”

“That depends on how you define a good time.”

“That sounds ominous.” He lay back on the sofa.

“Have you heard the term ‘ambush makeover?' ”

“Yes.”

“Gabby's mother turned it into an ambush setup.”

“Oh, I guess it didn't go over well.”

“That would be an understatement.”

“Poor girl. Is she okay now?”

“Yes.”

“I'm glad to hear it.”

Lauren returned with a tray with two glasses and a pitcher of cosmopolitans.

“I might not be able to cook, but I make a great cosmopolitan.”

He smiled wide. “Ah, that sounds like just the ticket, although alcohol has been known to get you into trouble.”

She put the tray down and sat next to him. “I don't think it got me into trouble at all. As a matter of fact, I believe it got me out of trouble.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“All kidding aside, have you heard from Ken again?”

Lauren told him about Ken's quest for the network and how he tried to get her to do his bidding.